The Headmaster's Secret (♡Completed♡)

2

Mia's P.O.V.

"What's a strap?", I asked Alex at dinner. He choked on his water a little bit before looking to me,

"You don't know what a strap is?" I shook my head. He sat back, smiling smugly,

"Then why'd you ask?"

"Jake mentioned it when we were talking." He sat up, his face falling,

"What did you talk about?"

"Why you treat him so differently. Like a person. I've never seen you proud. Or so happy to see someone." He shrugged,

"Jake is like my kid. He means a lot to me."

"I know." He glanced at me,

"I'm assuming he told you how our relationship came to be?"

"Kinda. He said you were at the hospital with him." He nodded a little,

"I had Jake in my last class of the day, just like I will with you. Teachers give me reports on anyone in my last class throughout the day. At the end of class, I handle infractions. So behave."

"Like... in front of everyone?" He nodded,

"Yes. And being punished as my student at school is much, much worse than being punished at home and I will not cut you any slack."

"I didn't expect you to." He sighed,

"Jake was... a basket case... to say the least. He showed up the first day high off his ass. I basically spanked him sober. After that, there was something every single day. Backing out of punishments has never been my thing but by the last day of the week, I thought I was gonna hurt him bad. He almost passed out. The next day, I decided I couldn't do that with him all year so I'd talk to him. I went to his dorm and knocked but he didn't answer. So I knocked again and said who it was and he still didn't answer, which is a big infraction. I walked in and he'd hung himself. I've only been that scared again once. I've only ever felt like a complete failure again once. That was the first time. I got him down and to the hospital and I refused to leave his side. We contacted his parents after a day and a half and they 'sent their love'. When he woke up, he was scared because he expected me to hit him and kick him out. I didn't. I took him in like a mentee and yeah, I was harder on him than my other students, but he straightened out so fast. Once someone cared about him, he was a different person. He made it to the top of his class, he was valedictorian, and now he's top of his class in Harvard. Jake is like my kid and I do love and care for him."

"What was the other time?"

"What?"

"You were scared." He paused,

"You hurting yourself."

~~~~

"Remia James."

"Here.", I said softly, sitting at the front of Alex's class.

"James?", the girl next to me whispered. Alex's cold eyes landed on her,

"It's a popular last name. No relation. Don't speak in my class without permission." Ouch.

"Yes headmaster. I'm sorry sir.", she said quickly. He finished taking roll before sighing,

"Alright. How many of you are scared of me?" Every hand flew up, mine going last. A small sadistic smile crept onto his face, "Good. Then you know not to cross me." He handed out a worksheet before going back to the front, "I expect this done by tomorrow. I want the complete truth and I want you all to truly think about your answers. I'm the only person who will ever see these and they will help me to help you throughout the year." I looked down at the paper, finding a typical 'Learn About Me' worksheet. Just with more lengthy questions.

"Sir?", a small voice said from the back.

"Yes Maria?" Wow he already knew names.

"Everyone said you didn't do things like this. That it didn't matter about who were were as people. Why is it different this year?" He smiled a little, which I'd learned people found shocking,

"This year, I teach a different class than before. In prior years, I've taught a class on respect and responsibility, despite what else is going on in your lives. This year, although you will learn those things, I'm teaching you all how to be mentored. How to properly study, how to fill out resumes, how to make toast without burning it. Things you'll need for life. I've realized over the past years that kids have left this school to move onto nothing and that's not the goal. The goal should be for you to grow and become functioning adults. One day, I'll die and someone will have to take over here. How many of you would want to do something like that?" A few hands went up. "Well, you've got a lot of years to prepare."

~~~~

"I hope your homework is finished.", Alex commented as I flipping on the T.V.

"I don't understand your homework."

"Why not? Go get it, I'll help you." I pulled it out of my bag, sitting next to him on the couch. "It's pretty simple Mia. What don't you understand?"

"Why do you wanna know this stuff?"

"To help me better understand the students I have for the next four years."

"I... don't want you to know all this stuff. None of the others have to live with you."

"I realize that. But I need to know these things anyways."

"I feel like I'm gonna be in trouble."

"You won't be. It happened long before you were under my care, I won't discipline you for things I never taught you were wrong. From here forward, you know my rules and expectations and I expect you to obey them. Before you lived with me, you didn't follow rules because you didn't need to. I won't punish you for how others raised you." I looked down at the paper,

What's the worst thing you've ever done?

Let someone else take the blame.

What happened to you as a consequence to said thing?

Nothing.

What happened to others as a consequence?

He's still in prison.

I put my pencil down as Alex looked to my paper, his shoulders slumping,

"You need full sentences. And I expect an elaboration on that by tomorrow."

"I sold something of my parents for drugs. One of our gardeners got blamed and arrested." I paused, "His son went into the foster system because of me and I was too messed up to care."

"Maybe you should find them and apologize kid."

"I don't know how."

"I'll help you. Turn the paper over." I did so. "Last question.", he said.

Would you like to make amends with the people you hurt?

More than anything.